


The Mirror Child

by TheRegularWriter



Series: Mirror Child AU [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Big Brother Sans, Brotherly Bonding, Canon Divergence, Chara Needs a Hug, Chara-centric, Flashbacks, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inspired by Steven Universe, Minor Character Death, Mirror Child AU, Multi, Non-Binary Chara, On Hiatus, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Papyrus Being Papyrus, Papyrus Knows More Than He Lets On, Papyrus-centric, Platonic Relationships, Suicidal Thoughts, Tags May Change, Undertale Saves and Resets, Undertale Spoilers, Younger Brother Papyrus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2019-02-09 03:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12879540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRegularWriter/pseuds/TheRegularWriter
Summary: A mysterious statue stands in the depths of Waterfall, such origins unknown to all monsters. However, the sculpture evokes odd feelings of... fondness in the metaphorical heart of the future Royal Guardsman.Only then does he know the prophecy of the Imprisoned Angel, who had taken solace in a mirror for thousands of years, until was freed with the great power of friendship.However, little does he remember being the source of such power himself.





	1. Prologue - Their Theme

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy everyone! I'd like to introduce my own Undertale AU named _Mirror Child_. In this Universe, the plot of Undertale changes due to a major event that revolves around the known Fallen Child, that is, once again, part of a prophecy. Despite this, the characters' personalities are not changed.
> 
> I'll keep with this introduction for now, since I still have to finish _Not a "Knife" Feeling_. Still, I was too excited to post this prologue tbh xD
> 
> Here is the masterpost, so you can have all the information you need: https://lotusthekat.deviantart.com/journal/Mirror-Child-AU-Masterpost-718621749
> 
> As always, I apologize for any mistakes in the writing and I hope the characters are portrayed well.
> 
> Although there's isn't much to the AU yet, I hope you already like it!

Waterfall wasn't a place that was usually explored. In contrast to the other areas in the Underground, there wasn't exactly a town, instead just a few houses.

Waterfall was pretty lonely, for that matter. Monsters used to explore there more, but ever since New Home was founded, few would actually go back to Waterfall or Snowdin - nowadays, the Capital was gradually becoming crowded and some were already forced to move to another place. Due to this, perhaps Waterfall would gain more inhabitants in the next years.

Though it wasn't much of a problem yet. The Waterfall caves were still that same empty and... creepy place, where Echo Flowers would whisper nonstop into monsters' ears. However, Papyrus couldn't lie that he did find Waterfall a beautiful place, with all the water and shining rocks on the ceiling. It did evoke a strange feeling inside him that he couldn't exactly explain, but it did that to all monsters that would pass by. He wasn't very used to it, though.

It was maybe the first time he was actually exploring the place, thanks to his great and cool friend Undyne, who was captain of the Royal Guard. The two had bonded in a matter of weeks and Papyrus was glad to find someone as proud and exciting as him. Not only that, but she was also willing to train him to become a famous Royal Guardsman! The skeleton couldn't feel any happier to meet someone as amazing as the fish monster. Undyne was glad to be introduced to him as well, which was why she was presenting him her home land so he could already have the map of the Underground in the palm of his hand.

He had to say the journey was fun! He had even met a nice monster named Onionsan, but Undyne was in a hurry so, unfortunately, they hadn't talked very much. Papyrus had also been introduced to a shy monster that sang very quietly, but beautifully. If the two hadn't had such important tasks - such as to initiate their private lesson at Undyne's home, where he still hadn't gone to - he would have sung along. Papyrus was a talented singer himself!

As Undyne and Papyrus walked, the rushing water echoed all over the cave. It was a soothing sound, better than the creepy whispering from the Echo Flowers... Waterfall was such an odd place - they had even found a lonely piano standing in a small room!

"Sometimes I get to play it when I'm not on duty," Undyne said once they saw it.

"OH! YOU PLAY THE PIANO??"

"Yeah, a little," Undyne smirked.

"YOU MUST BE GREAT AT IT! YOU'RE VERY SKILLED!"

"Gee, thanks, Paps." Undyne chuckled, flustered.

"WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IT NOW?"

"Oh, I'd like that, but... I really want to finish showing you around. Besides, I have my own piano at home, I can play it for you once we get there."

"WELL THEN! I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!"

Undyne gave him a wide smile.

"OH! I KNOW!" Papyrus suddenly spoke cheerfully. "WHAT IF WE FORMED A BAND ONE DAY?? YOU COULD PLAY THE PIANO AND I COULD SING! AND WE COULD INVITE THAT SHY SINGER TOO!!"

"Heh, that's a great idea!"

"I JUST HAVE TO THINK OF A COOL NAME, THOUGH..." Papyrus said, thoughtful.

The two continued their journey while still coming up with a cool name for their future band. Finally, as the two reached the continuation of the description of the War of Humans and Monsters, through ancient glyphs on the slightly wet walls, they changed the topic and talked more about their history instead.

Papyrus read all the glyphs carefully; Undyne had already read them, as she had lived there since she was little. Thus, she would explain him what the glyphs described when Papyrus asked anything he didn't know.

The history behind their kind was awfully saddening, but at least everything would end well - he _knew_ so. The skeleton, as well as many monsters, held tight to their hopes and awaited the day the King would break the Barrier and free them all.

The ones he read in that room described the nature of Monsters' SOULs, even mentioning something named "Boss Monster".

"BOSS MONSTER??" Papyrus read out loud, having never heard of such term before.

"Our King is a Boss Monster," Undyne answered. "His SOUL is a different kind. Physically it's the same white little upsided-down heart, but it lasts longer after death."

"IS THAT SO?? THEN HE MUST BE VERY POWERFUL INDEED!"

Undyne nodded in approval. The two then moved forward, as the captain still told him of King Asgore's heritage and species. Papyrus found it all interesting and captivating.

That is... until he found something that caught his attention entirely, especially as he realized how darker the cave became.

Under several waterdrops that fell from the ceiling stood a lonely statue in a dark room, if not for the light that came from above. The sculpture depicted a small figure that had  a short hair, the bangs hiding its eyes. Two wings came out of its back as well. Papyrus couldn't exactly tell the species of the creature represented, but it didn't... quite matter.

He found himself staring at it and Undyne's voice became a muffled noise. Only when she drew his attention back to her that she spoke normally to his non-existent ears.

"Are you even listening??" She asked him, sounding a little annoyed.

"O-OH, UM," Papyrus cleared his throat (though he didn't... have one?) nervously. "I JUST FOUND THIS STATUE... INTERESTING!"

Undyne only then understood what he meant once she acknowledged its presence.

"Oh! The statue of the Imprisoned Angel..." She said, seeming that she talked to herself.

"THE... IMPRISONED ANGEL?"

"Yeah! Haven't you heard of it?"

Papyrus shook his head. "I DON'T... THINK SO."

He couldn't help glancing at the statue every now and then. For some... strange reason, it... evoked such _strange_ feelings in him - even stronger than what Waterfall as a whole was making him feel.

"Right, not everyone knows this prophecy..." Undyne murmured.

"PROPHECY?"

"Yeah," Undyne answered. "It's mostly known in Waterfall, though, it's... not that popular. Gerson told me one day and I don't know if I remember the entire story, but I think I can sum it up to you.

"It's about an angel that rose in the depths of the Waterfall caves, after remaining trapped inside a magic tool for thousands of years. One day, a brave monster freed them and they began a very special friendship. Unfortunately, the angel couldn't stay in the Underground any longer, as they... probably had to go to heaven, I think. Then they left the Underground forever, never coming back.

"Nobody has ever seen them, but it is said that the one who met them sculpted this statue to keep their friendship alive. It's the only depiction we have of the angel, since the artist has never revealed themself through other works."

Papyrus didn't actually look at Undyne the entire time. His empty eyesockets gazed at the statue, but he still listened to her.

"WOW..." He said, awestruck.

"Yeah, well... nobody has really heard of this prophecy. Only Gerson and a few monsters know it and we don't tend to share it with anyone else out there." Undyne continued. "Similar to how Snowdin has its own stories, we also have our own legends. It's kind of our thing, but... it would be interesting if everyone else knew of this prophecy, though.

"I think it... kinda helps us have more hope for the future. That maybe... maybe the angel will return and help us get back to the surface one day, because they were very fond of that monster and found love again, after being doomed in a lonely prison of despair for such a long time. It's kinda similar to our own story, right?"

"Y... YEAH..."

Papyrus stared at the sculpture for a very, very long time. He couldn't get himself out of the trance, for some reason. Undyne was silent as well, after telling him the Imprisoned Angel prophecy. It all became very quiet, if not for the waterdrops that hit the structure of the statue and rolled down the angel's face, resembling... teardrops.

However, it didn't stay that way for too long. He eventually returned to reality once he realized Undyne taking him with her to the next room, that contained several umbrellas.

"We better continue our way," She said, then glancing at the umbrellas. "Now, I don't really mind the rain, but I'll get one so I won't wet my clothes. The next room is all soaked."

Papyrus was still out of it, though. His friend became a little worried and shook him slightly.

"Papyrus? Hey pal, you still there?" She called him.

He shook his head and blinked his eyesockets slowly.

"HUH? OH, HELLO!"

"You feeling alright?" She asked.

"Y... YES! OF COURSE!" Papyrus answered immediately, smiling widely. "WHY WOULD YOU ASK SUCH THING??"

"You seem kinda... down."

"I DO? W-WELL! I AM NOT!..." He said, then his voice lost a little of... his excitement. "... WELL, MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE ALL THAT HISTORY WE READ... ABOUT THE WAR AND SUCH... IT MAKES ME FEEL THOUGHTFUL. I DIDN'T REALLY RECORD LEARNING IT SO SPECIFICALLY BACK AT SCHOOL."

"Oh, I see... yeah, it's okay to feel that way. But hey, everything will be just right."

"I KNOW. I JUST... NEVER THOUGHT MUCH OF IT."

Papyrus... kind of felt like he was lying. Well, not that he wasn't captivated by the history of Monsters - he was indeed! However, that... wasn't the main reason why he wasn't feeling really well at the moment. He could tell Undyne wasn't really buying it, either. Or maybe that was just his impression, since the fish monster didn't question anything else regarding the topic.

"It's okay." Undyne assured him with a smile. "Now, come on! Go get an umbrella if you don't want your clothes getting all soppy."

Papyrus merely nodded while she grabbed an umbrella and awaited. He then took one and she already walked forward. The skeleton, however, stopped in the middle of the way. Undyne didn't seem to notice that he no longer followed her. Instead, the future Royal Guardsman looked behind, already seeing the darkness of the previous room that contained the statue.

Papyrus stood there for a few minutes before... heading back there, without thinking twice.

The statue was right there, all wet. The skeleton then thought of doing something to the poor statue.

...

He looked behind the sculpture, finding a gap near the spot that originated the wings. Papyrus carefully put the umbrella there.

Suddenly, he... heard a tune.

Papyrus immediately distanced himself, a little startled. It... appeared that a music box started playing, as he somehow turned it on with the umbrella. The song was... very calming and relaxing, yet... melancholic. The water no longer fell on the statue, as the umbrella protected it.

Papyrus found himself awestruck while listening to the music box, that wouldn't stop playing.

 

For some reason, he... he felt like he recalled something.

As if he... he **knew** that song from somewhere.

Suddenly, he started hearing the same tune...

... but it was played through a _piano_.

 

_He could see... a small figure playing the instrument in front of him._

_They played the song without acknowledging his presence at first._

_Papyrus approached slowly, and somehow hesitantly, as he didn't quite know if they would be angered at his presence._

_The stranger's back was turned at him, revealing a striped, green sweater and brown pants. Their brown hair was slightly messy._

_Papyrus listened and approached, raising his arm as a form to draw their attention. At the same time, he didn't want to stop them from playing, as he truly admired the music._

_But he knew he had to talk to them._

_He... didn't know why._

_But his SOUL told him that it had to be done._

_He got closer and closer, and closer... and closer-!_

 

"Papyrus!"

Papyrus jumped in fear once he heard his name in such a worried scream. Undyne rushed to him, seeming a little desperate.

"Dude! I-I thought-!" Undyne said, sounding rather pissed yet relieved for finding him.

Finally did the skeleton realize that he left his friend walking on her own. She had probably gone all the way and only then noticed that Papyrus hadn't been there at all. She appeared to have run a lot, judging by the sweatdrops on her forehead.

"O-OH, I'M SORRY!" Papyrus said. "I J-JUST THOUGHT I COULD-"

Undyne looked at the statue, noticing the umbrella that protected the sculpture.

"Huh? W... What did you do?" She asked.

"I JUST... PUT THE UMBRELLA THERE SO THE STATUE WOULDN'T BE SO WET."

"W... Where is this music coming from?" Undyne asked, then looking at the statue. "I-Is it coming from there?"

"I... SUPPOSE...?"

Undyne raised an eyebrow, but immediately shook her head and got back to the point.

"St- Still! You should have warned me!" She yelled at him. "I thought someone kidnapped you or something!!"

"I KNOW, I'M SORRY," Papyrus apologized. "I DID THAT WITHOUT THINKING."

"Just-! Just..." Undyne sighed deeply. "... don't do that again, okay?"

Papyrus nodded. "OKAY."

"Good." Undyne breathed heavily, being able to calm herself down. "N-Now, come on, we have training to do!"

She grabbed him by his hand before he could even say something, probably to not let him out of her sight again. She handed him her umbrella, no longer caring if her clothes were getting wet. She didn't mention anything about the music box, though, so he didn't bring this up again.

Papyrus was rather quiet the entire time, while the "rain" fell. His boots step on many pools that filled the ground. He could even see his own reflection in them. He couldn't quite admire it all, though, as Undyne kept an eye on him the entire time and rushed them to move forward.

Meanwhile, the music played from far, far away... Papyrus could still hear that same piano somewhere as well, as if...

... as if the stranger were still there playing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that plays from the music box would be something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Rw7JPuXjg  
> (just so you know)  
> The drawing was done by me, by the way :D
> 
> Now, I'm not quite sure when I'll get to post the next chapters, but, hopefully, I'll get to work better on this once I finish _Not a "Knife" Feeling_.


	2. Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Here's one more chapter!  
> This one is a lot longer, though xD  
> I decided to give the prologue a little continuation before heading with the actual story.
> 
> Still, I hope you enjoy it!

The rest of the journey in Waterfall hadn't exactly been long, as Undyne and Papyrus had seen a lot before the mysterious statue, from where the music box still played. Finally, the two had arrived at the fish monster's house - that being the first time Papyrus got to see her home at all. It wasn't very small, but it wasn't big, either.

The two had initiated their training lessons at the front of Undyne's house. Firstly, they had begun with her training dummy. Undyne had proved to be even more skilled than Papyrus had imagined, with all the different ways she threw spears; she had even introduced her "green attack", in which one could not escape and was forced to battle her with a spear to defend oneself.

Papyrus had impressed Undyne with his unique bone attacks, even though she did give him some constructive criticism regarding his blue attack. Papyrus had only started to learn how to use it properly, as Sans was the only one who was an expert (probably due to the fact that blue magic was exclusively a skeleton thing). Undyne hadn't turned him down, for her admiration of the use of such attack; but she had given him some advice and suggested he trained some more at home, most preferrable with his brother. Of course, Sans would have to be willing to train him more often, as he was a terrible lazybones...

After all this, Undyne had not forgotten to play some piano for him. She was very talented indeed. It was quite interesting to see that side of Undyne, which was soft and romantic.

However, Papyrus could not help hearing... that song from the statue at the same time. Undyne had even played the same tune once she figured the notes out, which, according to her, weren't hard to recognize. This, of course, caught the skeleton off guard and caused him to see that strange, small figure that kept on playing the piano in that lonely cave. Thankfully, Undyne hadn't questioned him, as he had probably managed to hide his... unusual behaviour.

Eventually, Papyrus went back home via boat, having tired himself out a little to walk all the way. The riverperson greeted him and they both made their way to Snowdin. The tall skeleton hummed a song with no name during the trip, as his boots lightly touched the water, which was strangely soothing.

His tranquility, however, was interrupted by the riverperson.

"Tra la la..." They sang. "Friendships are not forgotten in a world where everything ends. Despite it all, love lasts in our hearts from all that attempt to destroy it."

Papyrus was in a dead silence after hearing such... odd words. He would have raised an eyebrow, if he had any. The riverperson was known for talking about... topics that would not leave one's mind.

He would have said something else, but, once he realized, they were already in Snowdin. The boat then stopped and Papyrus, not wishing to cause them any delays, jumped off and landed on the snowy ground.

"Come again some time," The riverperson spoke. "Tra la la."

In the blink of an eye, the boat was gone. Papyrus only stood there, staring at the rushing water and hearing its sounds.

As well as that music box.

...

"W-WELL! MAYBE COOKING WILL EASE ME A LITTLE," Papyrus said to himself, after minutes of silence. "TODAY WAS A BIG DAY!"

The skeleton then headed off, encountering the wolf that would throw massive ice cubes on the water. Papyrus reached the Librarby and caught a glimpse of two familiar mailboxes and a very special place - his house!

Papyrus unlocked the door once he arrived, hearing noises coming from the TV. That being said, he admitted to being a little surprised at finding his brother home. Sans would usually be gone - either at Grillby's or... at the very end of the Snowdin Woods, where was located a huge, purple door. Yet there was Sans, sitting on the couch and eating some of those unhealthy chips.

"oh, hey bro." Sans spoke once he saw him, greeting him with his same old grin. "how was training with undyne?"

Papyrus took some time to answer the question, for... some reason. He heard someone playing the piano on the TV...

... but as soon as he noticed Sans awaiting, he shook his head and finally replied:

"OH, IT WAS GREAT! I GOT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT WATERFALL! I LEARNED SO MUCH!!"

"that's cool, bro," Sans's smile seemed to have... faltered a little, but Papyrus tried not to give it too much attention.

The tall skeleton nodded, with Sans doing the same. There... was silence between the two of them, as his older brother probably expected to hear more details. In the end, Papyrus couldn't... quite find more words to say.

"WELL, I-I'M GOING TO MAKE SOME SPAGHETTI!" Papyrus claimed suddenly, which... appeared to have startled Sans a little, but not that it bothered his brother too much. "IT SURE IS BETTER THAN THOSE HORRIBLE CHIPS YOU ARE EATING FOR DINNER!!"

"nah, c'mon," Sans grinned as he grabbed a ton of chips with his hand. "it's pretty healthy."

"NO, IT IS NOT! I CANNOT UNDERSTAND YOUR EATING HABITS, SANS! HOW COME YOU KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT FOOD WHEN YOU ONLY CONSUME GREASE AND EXCESSIVE CALORIES?!"

His brother merely shrugged with a smile, eating the chips normally. Papyrus would have rolled his eyes and instead opted to enter the kitchen already. Sans really needed to reconsider what he ate; with such poor HP, Sans could actually acquire health problems that would heavily affect him! Thank goodness Sans had a brother that would cook dinner for them both so his brother wouldn't go deeper into that path.

Finally, Papyrus grabbed the box of spaghetti that stood on the kitchen counter and got a pot, filling it with water.

It was only a matter of minutes before dinner was finally ready; Papyrus knew how great he was, so he took little time to make some quality spaghetti! Still, though, he would be willing to cook with Undyne one day so he could become even greater! She had agreed to this as well, as she loved to cook, too.

"IT IS READY!" Papyrus claimed.

"coming," Sans spoke from the distance.

The skeleton brothers gathered once again in order to have dinner... except that Papyrus wouldn't eat spaghetti with Sans, but his brother had gotten used to that without any protest, really.

Sans would glance at him every now and then, perhaps wanting to hear him talk more or... something else. Instead, Papyrus found himself... oddly quiet. He didn't quite know why. Sans obviously noted that, judging by the way he looked at him.

Finally, his brother said something, but Papyrus couldn't quite catch it, for his mind was... full of things.

Sans cleared his non-existent throat, leading Papyrus to blink a few times.

"hey, bro?" He called.

"O-OH, I'M SORRY, DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?"

"uh, yeah," Sans replied... frowning slightly. "i asked if you wanna tell me more about waterfall."

"OH," Papyrus nodded. "OH, SURE THING! I LEARNED SOME MONSTER HISTORY AND MORE DETAILS OF THE WAR THAT... SEALED US UNDERGROUND. I DID NOT LEARN IT WITH SUCH ACCURACY AT SCHOOL, FOR SOME REASON..."

"yeah, they don't really give that many details about the war... but that's because waterfall is a real sanctuary of our own history."

"INDEED," Papyrus nodded again. "IT... WAS SOMETHING ELSE, I SUPPOSE."

Sans nodded as well, appearing to be... suspicious. Papyrus felt something strange in his... stomach? Or where it was supposed to be? In any case, he ended up avoiding his brother's gaze, looking at his own hands instead.

"you ok?" Sans asked, finally.

"OF COURSE!" Papyrus answered immediately. "I'M JUST... THOUGHTFUL, THAT IS ALL. THE WAR OF HUMANS AND MONSTERS IS SUCH A... SADDENING PART OF OUR LIVES AND... I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT IT UNTIL NOW."

Sans, however, did not seem to be buying it. Papyrus didn't... quite know what was making him so... unfocused, really. How was he supposed to explain that feeling to him?

"i see..." His brother replied, his frown becoming more visible.

Papyrus avoided his gaze again. He could feel Sans staring at him for some seconds before looking at his food again. The tall skeleton played with his hands as he could still hear the piano coming from the television.

Eventually, the song in that program became... the statue's theme.

'Their theme', Papyrus had named it; considering that it came from the sculpture of the Imprisoned Angel...

...

Papyrus saw them again and heard their fingers making music with the piano, as well as the riverperson's words in the very background:

_Friendships are not forgotten in a world where everything ends._

He could even remember Undyne telling him of the prophecy as well.

_It is said that the one who met them sculpted this statue to keep their friendship alive._

_Despite it all, love lasts in our hearts from all that attempt to destroy it._

 

 

"I... I HEARD ABOUT... A PROPHECY, TOO."

Sans raised his head in surprise.

"what?"

"U... UNDYNE TOLD ME ABOUT A PROPHECY." Papyrus repeated. "THE STORY OF THE... IMPRISONED ANGEL."

Sans appeared to be thoughtful.

"uh, _tibia_ honest, i don't think i've heard that before," He admitted.

"IT'S BECAUSE IT'S... A TRADITION OF WATERFALL, I SUPPOSE."

"so, uh, what is it about?"

Papyrus looked at everything but his brother, as he still heard Their Theme.

"IT'S... ABOUT AN ANGEL THAT WAS TRAPPED IN A MAGIC... TOOL," Papyrus narrated, trying to remember all the details Undyne had given. "AN ANGEL THAT BEFRIENDED A BRAVE MONSTER, BUT THAT WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND FOREVER.

"BUT... IT IS BELIEVED THAT THEY WILL COME BACK... T-TO SAVE US ALL. BECAUSE THAT MONSTER SHOWED THEM LOVE."

Sans seemed captivated.

"well, that's interesting," He said.

"T... THERE'S EVEN A STATUE THAT... IS APPARENTLY A DEPICTION OF THE ANGEL. UNDYNE TOLD ME THAT THE ARTIST COULD BE THE ONE THAT WAS THEIR FRIEND."

"oh, is that so?"

Papyrus nodded. "YES, I... I-I SAW IT IN A LONELY CAVE. IT WAS... ALL WET FROM THE WATERDROPS THAT COME FROM THE CEILING.

"THERE WAS EVEN... A MUSIC BOX INSIDE."

Sans would have raised an eyebrow in... certain confusion.

"a music box?" He asked.

"YEAH... IT'S A VERY... HAUNTING, YET MELANCHOLIC AND DEEP... TUNE..."

Papyrus ended up staring at... nowhere. The song was still playing...

"is that what's making you so thoughtful, too?" Sans wondered.

"K... KIND OF... B-BUT IT'S MORE THAN THAT, I..."

Papyrus couldn't really find the exact words. However, he started talking without giving much thought, anyway, and it would have come as confusing to his brother; but he didn't stop.

"H-HAVE YOU EVER FELT LIKE... LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S _MISSING_?" He asked.

"w... what?"

"N-NOT EXACTLY SOMETHING, BUT... BUT _SOMEONE_..."

"W-WHEN I FOUND THAT STATUE, I FELT... SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THAT IT'S HARD TO DESCRIBE. IT... I-IT WAS ALMOST LIKE... I-I HAD SEEN THEIR FACE SOMEWHERE BEFORE, PERHAPS... A LONG, LONG TIME AGO, W-WHEN I'VE NEVER... EXPLORED WATERFALL BEFORE AND...

"IT'S ALMOST LIKE... I'VE _SEEN_ THEM ONCE."

Papyrus faced his brother after giving such... heartfelt words. Sans seemed a bit lost, rather perplexed. He looked around, attempting to... understand what Papyrus meant with all that.

"you mean... you feel like you've... met the angel?" Sans asked.

"P-PRETTY MUCH THAT."

Sans blinked a few times, having stopped eating the spaghetti. It had probably gotten cold, but Papyrus surprisingly did not bring that up, nor got mad at his brother for not eating healthier food. Instead, he awaited Sans to say something.

"jeez, bro..." He let out a nervous chuckle.

His brother looked unusually... jumpy, for some reason. Papyrus didn't feel like actually questioning that, as what he had just said was awfully disorienting indeed.

"i... i'm sorry, but i don't really... get it." Sans said. "i-i dunno, maybe you've seen them in your dreams or-"

"I'M... I'M SURE I DIDN'T SEE THEM IN A DREAM, SANS," Papyrus interrupted. "T-THEY SEEMED SOMEHOW... SO CLEAR, E-EXCEPT THAT I CAN'T... QUITE REMEMBER THEIR FACE. BUT WHEN I HEARD THAT MUSIC BOX, SAW THAT FIGURE OF A SMALL ANGEL, I SWORE THAT I HAVE MET THEM- IN _PERSON_."

Sans's nervousness became... worse. At the same time, he seemed downright _worried_. Oh god, did he think Papyrus was actually crazy?

Maybe he were. Even he couldn't understand all that himself.

But that feeling...

That feeling in his chest when he saw the statue, when he heard the music...

It was still there.

And it was strong, and _genuine_ -

"i..." Sans tried to say something else, but he couldn't... form words any longer.

Papyrus sighed sadly.

"N... NEVERMIND THAT, SANS," He said. "IT'S... PROBABLY JUST... A-ALL THE INFORMATION I GATHERED IN ONE DAY IS MAKING ME..."

The tall skeleton shook his head. Sans still stared at him with the same look of concern and tension.

"I'M- I'M SORRY, I OUGHT TO... GO TO MY ROOM AND..." Papyrus already stood up, even though Sans insisted he stayed.

"no, paps-"

"I-I JUST NEED SOME TIME," Papyrus assured with a weak smile. "I'M SORRY."

He rushed to the living room, hearing Sans call his name. Papyrus didn't look back, and instead went upstairs. He closed the bedroom door behind him, letting out a sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"CALM DOWN, PAPYRUS," He told himself. "YOU'RE GOING NUTS! PROBABLY DUE TO ALL THOSE SAD HISTORY LESSONS AND... AND THE PROPHECY! IT'S TOO MUCH, INDEED..."

Papyrus took a deep breath before anything. Then, he went for his bookshelf, to find something to distract his mind. And what was better than some advanced puzzles to train his mind? He still needed to think of creative puzzles in order to capture a human!

Papyrus looked all over the books, coming across the classic Peek-a-boo With Fluffy Bunny. Frowning for not spotting his puzzle book at first, he was more relieved to find it on the top shelf. As soon as he grabbed it, he let out a gasp as he realized that something else was attached to the book. The other object fell on the carpeted floor.

Papyrus looked at it, next to his feet.

...

A mirror-

No, it- it was his mirror.

Why was it up there? He hadn't remembered putting it in that shelf...

Goodness, Papyrus's memory was not great that day.

Picking it, the skeleton faced the broken glass. His reflection was still very great, despite all the cracks.

In all honesty, Papyrus didn't... quite know why he kept that mirror. It was broken and it didn't show his full body - even though the image of his upper body was great enough to him, but it was better to picture his entire self!

He could have just thrown it away. He could find another mirror, a bigger one in particular.

...

But...

The mere thought of getting rid of it was not... pleasant.

Instead, it was heart-wrenching - and that came from someone who did not own an _actual_ heart! Perhaps it could be... SOUL-wrenching?

Still!

That mirror... meant something to him.

He- he didn't know _why_.

He wasn't sure whether it had been some sort of gift from someone or... a memory of a special someone- perhaps a friend, or his long lost family, or...

Papyrus didn't know.

Yet he couldn't bring himself to throw it away.

Not even for the grand mirrors out there.

...

He wished he knew.

There- there was so much of his life that didn't quite make sense to him.

Why did he keep that mirror? Why was it so special to him?

Why did he... hold such heartfelt feelings for the one depicted in the statue?

How come he still heard the music box, when it was kilometers away from him?

And- and _who_ was the one playing the piano in the first place?!

If- if he had those feelings, how-

...

How come he didn't even **remember**?

And was there... anyone out there who could possibly explain all this?

...

Papyrus could possibly have gone crazy. Either that or...

... or there was something greater that he didn't know.

There was so much mystery to his life... not even his brother could explain it all. Sans was probably in the same boat.

...

He just didn't get it.

Papyrus sighed again, analyzing the mirror as a whole. In its back, he could see... an illustration of what was supposed to be a heart. Not like a Monster SOUL, yet... a _heart_.

Actually, it- it didn't appear to be just an illustration. For some reason.

...

Wait.

A thought crossed his mind.

What if...

...

... what if the mirror had... something to do with the Imprisoned Angel?

...

"WHY DID I THINK THAT?" Papyrus asked out loud.

He... didn't know.

But the fact that both the motives behind his affection for the mirror and the... angel... were unknown...

Perhaps they could be connected.

...

"NO," Papyrus denied. "N-NO! WHY AM I STILL THINKING ABOUT THIS?! IT DOESN'T EVEN... MAKE SENSE!"

He groaned. He put the mirror in the shelf again, way deep inside so he wouldn't face it again. Papyrus was not feeling well that day...!

"I- I'D BETTER... REST MY MIND FOR SOME TIME..." He said, suddenly... giving up at solving puzzles like he had originally intended.

Papyrus took off his boots and his orange-red scarf, as well as his gloves. Still, he kept his battle body attached to his bones, so he could always feel great!

The skeleton didn't... usually decide to take... some time to rest. He felt it was utterly unnecessary, as it prevented him from being productive. Sans would do that so often he would forget that he needed to work!

However, Papyrus couldn't deny that he was unwell. Perhaps... two hours would suffice. He had never needed so much time, anyway.

"I WON'T BE DOING THIS AGAIN," Papyrus promised himself, despite this. "OR ELSE I'LL BECOME A LAZY BONES AS WELL! AND THAT'S THE WORST MISTAKE I COULD EVER MAKE!!"

The skeleton laid on his very cool bed, covering himself with the blanket. He would also call his brother to tell him a bedtime story, but Papyrus doubted he could focus on Fluffy Bunny's adventures when his mind still pictured the piano player...

Well! Now he could not let that stand between him and his resting needs!

Besides, it wouldn't last long, anyway, so he could call Sans later.

Papyrus shut his eyes without much difficulties.

...

Still...

He could hear the music box playing...

Then, the piano...

As well as the rushing water, the soft yet... somehow haunting voice of the riverperson...

He formed an entire image in his head.

The stranger of the striped shirt, playing piano with Undyne; the riverperson humming in a rather soothing way.

He only... laid there, listening. No longer did he feel confusion and stress.

Instead, he just went with the calm water and the music, not protesting against the waves that would pull him...

And, finally, he was no longer in the real world.

*** * * * ***

 

 

**_A FEW RESETS AGO..._ **

 

Any normal monster would probably be disgusted at the common visits to the Garbage Dump. It would be the most unexpected place to meet... ~~cute girls~~  FRIENDS, and hang out. Yet... it turned out that Undyne quite enjoyed going there.

She loved Waterfall, honestly- even the Garbage Dump. She didn't care whether people would disagree with her.

She loved exploring her home land. That was how she had ended up meeting Alphys in the first place. The Royal Scientist was one to go there sometimes as well. In the end, it became a tradition hanging out there at times...

... well, mostly because Undyne disliked going to Hotland, but Alphys didn't mind.

Sometimes they would be sitting somewhere as Alphys talked about her theories and told some human history with those... nice, illustrated books of hers. That day, though, the couple merely looked around as they found some... rather interesting garbage lying underwater and in those garbage heaps. How come humans threw so many things away? There were plenty of things that were useful to monsters -  Alphys did find those history books at the Garbage Dump, for that matter!

It was probably gross to get their hands on, urgh- _human_ garbage, but Undyne was actually enjoying to do that. They had some interesting parts in their history indeed - even though she hated them with passion.

As they walked, they would step on some things. Usually small ones.

However, Undyne felt something... a little bigger that time.

She bent over and picked it from the water.

It... it was different from everything they had found.

 

"W-What's that?" Alphys asked, curious.

Undyne raised an eyebrow, her eye analyzing it carefully.

It seemed...  _ancient_. Judging by the material used and its form and design...

Though...

"It's... a mirror." She said.

Yet...

... there was... something off with that mirror.

She saw its back. There was... a red heart illustrated on it.

...

Did... did that have a deeper meaning?

... what could it be?


End file.
